Friday, December 17, 2010

Krampus is the dark counterpart of Saint Nicholas. St. Nicholas rewards good kids with gifts and treats; and never punishes naughty children, parceling out this task to a ghastly helper from below. Krampus, is unmistakably darker; he often appears as a traditional red devil with cloven hoof and goatish horns, although he can also be spotted as an old bearded wild-man or a huge hairy beast. He comes to punish the naughty children, and is often depicted carrying them in chains or in a basket to a fiery place below.

Santa's all well and good, but darker things lurk in the woods. Krampus brings switches and bad dreams to the misbehaving children, threatening more than just a lump of coal....

Although its distant pagan origins are mostly repressed, Christmas gift-giving and its folklore and customs still embody the pre-Christian European winter solstice tradition. In the dark recesses of our cultural consciousness, the link between the Goat-horned Devil and Saint Nick is clear. If we are naughty,the potent holiday devil archetype who rules over this age-old festival season will come calling!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Here are some questions for you my dear blog followers, I thought it would be fun for us to answer them,

Here are my answers

1 - Too small when you were asked, what you wanted to do when you were big; What did you reply?

-There were only two things I ever wanted to be as a kid, Wonder Women or Ruler of my own Planet
2 - What were your favorite cartoons? -G.I. Joe and Transformers
3 - What were your favorite games? -Tag or Hide and Seek with my cousins, we always ended up in a dog pile tickling or pretending to beat each other up
4 - What year was your nicest birthday and why? -I was about 22 and my pal Andy gave me a card with lyrics saying: "One day when my life has passed me by, I'll sit around and wonder why you were always there for me. Some say better things will come my way, no matter what they try to say, You were always there for me." It let me know that he knew how much I care and how I would do anything for him.
5 - What were the things you absolutely wanted to do, and not yet done? -Visit Florance, Italy
6 - Which 'was your first love? sports? or what not? -My first love was swimming.....and chocolate
7 - Which was your first musical idol? - Led Zepplin (thanks to growing up hearing my father play it all the time)
8 - Which was the most' beautiful sought (and eventually received), Santa Claus, Jesus' Child, Saint Lucia, christmas gift? - I'm with Jesse on this, my first bike!OK Followers, its your turn to answer and please help yourself to the Friendship Baton I'm passing to all of you!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

As promised Dear Followers, my new Day Of the Dead inspired art work. Enjoy a look at these shrines and coffin shrines. If you want to see more pics just email me, these will be going up on my Etsy site

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

I took these shots in the Twin Falls Cemetery, when I was in Idaho. The headstone below caught my eye and I had to photograph it. Something about the lines and sweet curves gives this memorial such delicacy and love.

I love this shot, it was just begging to be taken in Black and White!

The best part of this memorial was the inscription "Zu Frueh Schlug Diese Bittere Stunde" This is German for

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Heal the mind.
And then work for the air, the trees, the water and the animals.

And the people? Tough. If you want to live in my world, come and go through what I went through to live in my world. You don't just come get in my world. You have to do something to earn my world. I wouldn't let a lot of those people in my world if I had the say so about it. I don't have to destroy them, all I have to do is just say no. I don't want that in my world.

I don't want that confusion in my world.

You don't have to let those people in your mind.

You let the people in your mind that are helping your mind. And your mind is the only mind. You are the mind. You are the earth, you are the air, the trees, you are the animals, you are everything. You are the child of god. That's the truth. Period.

Friday, July 2, 2010

This weekend while we are all setting off fireworks, celebrating freedom and being with our loved ones eating BBQ, let us NEVER forget the men and women who make that possible for us. I hope that it never slips anyone's mind that the ONLY reason we are able to enjoy the freedom that we have, is due to the sacrifice made by people who, without knowing us all, are fighting for us and who have laid their lives down so we could sleep safely and peacefully at night.

We have no chance of being free unless made and kept so by those better than you or I; those who are NOT able to sit and have BBQ with their family because they are busy keeping us free, those who will NEVER again be able to be with their families on Independence Day because they have given up everything just to insure that we could have this day to celebrate.

I know that the 4th is supposed to be a happy time, but I can not stop thinking of everyone who passed on defending our country and those who are still out there, in harms way EVERY day.

So this weekend, while you are popping open your beer or eating your grilled goodies, remember those that are keeping you all in the lives you live, undisturbed by it all, while they sweat and bleed for us.

I want to say Thank You to all the men and women of the armed forces, but that just doesn't seem enough. It feels to me like saying "I'm sorry" to someone when a loved one passes away. It seems such a very small thing to do or say to offer some little comfort to those who make it possible for me to not only voice my opinion, but also make it possible to live the life I lead.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Om Mani Padme Hum, the famous mantra of Chenrezig, written in Tibetan script. It is said that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra. Tibetan Buddhists believe that saying the mantra (prayer), out loud or silently to oneself, invokes his powerful benevolent attention. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect.

Om, symbolize one's impure body, speech and mind, and also the pure noble body, speech and mind of a Buddha. Buddhism claims that an impure body, speech and mind can be transformed into pure ones of a Buddha, who was once impure and later by removing their negative attributes, achieved enlightenment on his path.

Mani, the jewel, symbolizes factors of method, compassion and love, the altruistic intention to become enlightened. "Just as a jewel is capable of removing poverty, so the altruistic mind of enlightenment is capable of removing the poverty, or difficulties, and of solitary peace. Similarly, just as a jewel fulfills the wishes of sentient beings, so the altruistic intention to become enlightened fulfills the wishes of sentient beings", the Dalai Lama says. PADME means lotus and symbolizes wisdom. Growing out of mud, but not being stained by mud, lotus indicates the quality of wisdom, which keeps you out of contradiction. Hum, The last syllabus, means inseparability; symbolizing purity & can be achieved by the unity of method and wisdom.

Ganesha is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth. Ganesha's head symbolizes the Atman or the soul, which is the ultimate supreme reality of human existence, and his human body signifies Maya or the earthly existence of human beings. The elephant head denotes wisdom and its trunk represents Om, the sound symbol of cosmic reality. In his upper right hand Ganesha holds a goad, which helps him propel mankind forward on the eternal path and remove obstacles from the way. The laddoo (sweet) he holds indicates that one must discover the sweetness of the Atman. His fan-like ears convey that he is all ears to our petition. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms.The lotus flowers, and swastika painted on his hand are symbols of spiritual knowledge.